"Spoiled Cupcakes..."

[Canterlot - Throne Room - Celestia's POV.]

The crown's weight presents a heavy burden on days such as these. It almost makes me wish my destiny lay elsewhere instead of the well-being of Equestria. Is it selfish to want a more uncomplicated profession free of political maneuvering and grandiose posturing? But destiny is rarely so kind as I have discovered in my long life. A day I never envisioned has come. A day where I preside over the trial against a mare that's done so much for me and Equestria. Who would believe the headlines when they revealed that an element bearer was attacking one of their own? As I look around, I see many share the same sentiments. A situation of this magnitude affects all of us, but none more so than the friends and relatives of the perpetrator. I glance down at the heavily restrained mare and can't help but shake my head. It seemed excessive, but I can't rule out the necessity of the bindings. Twilight's letters of her friends warrant - and Pinkie's subsequent actions - leave no room for error regarding her containment.

"It is rare that I find myself at a loss of words. Seeing you bound and gagged like a common criminal is unsettling, Miss Pie. I shall remove the muzzle to have a proper dialogue." I said.

My horn glows as I remove the obstruction preventing Pinkie's voice. "I don't know about unsettling. But it is Kinky. Haha, Kinky Pinkie." Pinkie giggle.

"You shall silence yourself! This court shall not allow your crassness to taint its proceedings!" Luna stamps her hoof to my left.

"Yheesh, somepony's a party popper. By the way, can I get my coat and collar back? I worked super hard on those. Hey, Rarity, do you think we can compare notes after this? I am not as good as you with clothing, but I did well." Pinkie asked her former friend.

Miss Belle had the good sense not to say a word. Instead, she puts a hoof in her face to bar her vision of Pinkie—a feeble attempt to form a wall between her and Pinkie Pie. "I am afraid such a request will not happen," I stated.

"Why not?"

"That tapestry of torn cutie marks and severed wings and horns have been burnt to ashes so that the victims may know a semblance of peace. If the aim is to plead insanity, thou will not gain leniency!" Luna said.

"Is this about the basement? I'm sorry it was such a mess. I usually keep things more organized than that. But Twilight started Twilight-ing again. Hmm, actually. It is a bit too early for that phrase. And things are way too different--"

"Miss Pie! I will not have this nonsensical drivel continue. Look around you! Look at your fellow ponies and see the pain you have wrought!" I sternly emphasized.

Pinkie did as I said and gave the room a quick once-over. She went from strangers to friends and family before she shrugged. "I see a lot of ponies here. I see friends. I see family. And I see ponies I haven't gotten to yet."

Everypony balks at that statement. I can see Luna bristling out of the corner of my eye. "W-What dost thou mean by that? Thou hasn't gotten to them? Surely, thou doesn't claim to seek more prospects to sate your tortuous tendencies?!"

"Well, yeah. I know not every pony understands, but it's my job to bring smiles and happiness to everypony I can. But, more often than not, you get all these sad, depressed, or angry ponies that either don't like having fun or don't know how or don't want to—basically, big party poopers. And that's where I come in; to bring to that sourpuss' and spread the smiles to all."

The throne room fell into a stunned silence. Varying degrees of abject horror surrounded me. I couldn't help but look around. If nothing else other than to see if I wasn't the only one preview to this madness. Spike huddles closer to Twilight as she hugs him tightly. Poor Fluttershy fainted; her mother barely caught her in time, but she was hardly fairing better. Fancypants held a deep frown while Fleur De lis expelled her stomach contents on her neighbor, who was too shocked to respond. Rarity is trying desperately to over her sister's ears. In contrast, Applejack consoles a deeply disturbed Applebloom as she silently cries. From what I read in Twilight's letters, Applebloom was Pinkie's unwilling assistant.

Luna replied in disbelief. "H-Have thou taken leave of thine senses?!" Her horn glows as multiple pictures of the Cakes' basement. Seeing those photographs again brings an unpleasant shiver to my spine. "Look upon your machinations. A pony's severed head lay on the table! Another had their muzzle cut open in some abhorrent smiling gesture. And a few others had their eyelids removed while their faces remained frozen in perpetual agony! Thou hast tortured these ponies! What joy can thou bring when thine patrons are decease! Thou are Equestria's protector, not a twisted executioner! What could be the reason for such butchery?!"

Cracks split across the ground from the usage of the Royal Canterlot Voice. Luna stood there seething at Pinkie's lack of empathy as the mare went to reply. "Well, it's simple since the grumpy ponies can't seem to get over themselves and spread the laughter. I help them by giving their smiles to others. Why do you think so many ponies love Sugarcube Corner's cupcakes? Why do you think so many ponies recommend my expertise? Even you, Princess Celestia, why do you love that strawberry filling so much?"

At her words, a dreaded realization hits. All the investigators could not pinpoint the locations of the previous victims despite the quantity of DNA evidence. And How it looked like a chef's precision with all of the hacks and slashes against their forms. It wasn't mere mutilation. It was preparation. "...Y-You - Mother of me - you've been turning your fellow ponies into pastries for the masses to consume?!" Several gasps echoed throughout the throne room. Like a plague sweeping through the air, many ponies voided their stomachs. I, myself, felt the bile rushing up my throat. No doubt many of my ponies prescribe to the same bakery. I even regularly order strawberry filling cake each weekend. Every order I ever made condemned a pony to an unfortunate demise. "W-Why? WHY?!"

I looked into Pinkie's eyes, all but pleading with me to say otherwise, but it was there that I saw my folly. The same brilliant blue eyes and a cheery smile that brought everypony joy and optimism shifted. Miss Pie's body seemed to elongate while a crimson miasma seeped from her form. It quickly blanketed the throne room with a sickly red pallet. All occupants
are no longer present except for Pinkie and myself. Pinkie's pupils turned into pintucks while bloody tears trickled down. That once optimistic smile seems to turn feral. Claws burst from her hooves, and she reached out to me with blood dripping from the tips. Somehow, Pinkie now loomed over me in a complete reveal of roles. And to my shame, I felt myself shiver in fear of this apparent monster bearing the visage of a friend. All the while, Pinkie Pie's maniacal laughter assaults my eardrums from all sides.

"Celestia? Celestia!!! Hear my voice!!!" Luna called out to me, and the crimson haze immediately fell. The shivering I was experiencing was my sister rocking my form to regain clarity. "Are you well, sister?" I looked back to her and the crowd before bowing my head and shaking it despondently. I managed to catch the flare of infuriation from my sister as she rounds back on Pinkie. "The deliberation ends here! By the power vested in me as a ruling princess, I henceforth sentence you, Pinkamena Diane Pie, to death. Thine execution shall commence in a fortnight. Until then, thou shall be confined to the dungeon with little personal effects, restrained, and cut off from my sister's light!!!"

Pinkie makes a pouting face before blowing out a snort in annoyance. "You know something, Princess Luna. You're starting to sound like a real party pooper. After my friends and I saved you from being big meanie pants, I feel slightly betrayed."

"Surely thou jest!" Luna balked as she marched up to Pinkie's bound form. "Rainbow Dash - thine fellow element bearer and comrade - lays in critical condition. She was struck down, not by an enemy, but by one she called a friend. Thou art the Betrayer!!!"

"What can I say? Dashie's number came up when she decided she didn't like my pies and made every excuse to avoid hanging out. But you're wrong about that last part." Once again, Pinkie's smile grew to disparate levels while a manic glee entered her features. "Hehehe-hahaha. I'm not a betrayer. I'm flexible."

It happened in an instant. Pinkie's hoof slips from its restraints. Pinkie's free hoof shot straight towards Luna's face. "Gah!!!"

"Sweet Celestia!!!"

"Somepony restain her. I want cast iron yokes on her now!!!"

"Get the princess some medical help now!!!"

"Luna! LUNA!!!!" I clutched the form of my sister as she lay on the ground, trembling in pain. Her hooves desperately tried to stem the bleeding while her wings covered her face. Yet, despite all the yelling and screaming, I could still hear the laughter of a deranged mare as clear as the day I command.

"HEHEEHE-AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!"